SB1677eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1677 Engrossed LRB096 10732 KTG 20916 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 2. The Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 2310-186 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2310/2310-186 new)

Sec. 2310-186. Criminal history record checks; task force. The Department of Public Health in collaboration with the Department of State Police shall create a task force to examine the process used by State and local governmental agencies to conduct criminal history record checks as a condition of employment or approval to render provider services to such an agency.

The task force shall be comprised of representatives from State and local agencies that require an applicant to undergo a fingerprint-based criminal history record check pursuant to State or federal law or agencies that are contemplating such a requirement. The task force shall include but need not be limited to representatives from the Department of State Police, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Central Management Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Human Services, the Office of the Secretary of State, the Illinois State Board of Education (whose representative or representatives shall consult with the Regional Offices of Education and representatives of 2 statewide teachers unions, a statewide organization representing school principals, a statewide school administrators organization, and school bus companies), a large regional park district, and at least 2 statewide non-governmental, non-profit multi-issue advocacy organizations to represent the interests of prospective employers. The task force shall be chaired by 2 co-chairpersons, one appointed by the Director of Public Health and the other appointed by the Director of State Police. The task force members shall be appointed within 30 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly. The Department of Public Health and the Department of State Police shall jointly provide administrative and staff support to the task force as needed.

The task force shall review and make recommendations to create a more centralized and coordinated process for conducting criminal history record checks in order to reduce duplication of effort and make better use of resources and more efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

The task force shall provide a plan to revise the criminal history record check process to the General Assembly by February 1, 2010. The plan shall address the following issues:

(1) Identification of any areas of concern that have been identified by stakeholders and task force members regarding State or federally mandated criminal history record checks.

(2) Evaluation of the feasibility of using an applicant's initial criminal history record information results for subsequent employment or licensing screening purposes while protecting the confidentiality of the applicant.

(3) Evaluation of the feasibility of centralizing the screening of criminal history record information inquiry responses.

(4) Identification and evaluation of existing technologies that could be utilized to eliminate the need for a subsequent fingerprint inquiry each time an applicant changes employment or seeks a license requiring a criminal history record inquiry.

(5) Identification of any areas where State or federally mandated criminal history record checks can be implemented in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

(6) Evaluation of what other states and the federal government are doing to address similar concerns.

(7) Identification of programs serving vulnerable populations that do not currently require criminal history record information to determine whether those programs should be included in a centralized screening of criminal history record information.

(8) Identification of any issues that agencies face in interpreting criminal history records, such as differentiating among types of dispositions, and evaluation of how those records can be presented in a format better tailored to non-law enforcement purposes.

(9) Ensuring that any centralized criminal history records system discloses sealed criminal history records only to those agencies authorized to receive those records under Illinois law.

(10) Evaluation of the feasibility of instating a process whereby agencies provide copies of the criminal background check to applicants for the purpose of providing applicants with the opportunity to assess the accuracy of the records.

(11) Evaluation of the feasibility of adopting a uniform procedure for obtaining disposition information where an arrest or criminal charge is reported without subsequent disposition.

(12) Preparation of a report for the General Assembly proposing solutions that can be adopted to eliminate the duplication of applicant fingerprint submissions and the duplication of criminal records check response screening efforts and to minimize the costs of conducting State and FBI fingerprint-based inquiries in Illinois.

Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by changing Section 9A-11.5 as follows:

(305 ILCS 5/9A-11.5)

Sec. 9A-11.5. Investigate child care providers.

(a) Any child care provider receiving funds from the child care assistance program under this Code who is not required to be licensed under the Child Care Act of 1969 shall, as a condition of eligibility to participate in the child care assistance program under this Code, authorize in writing on a form prescribed by the Department of Children and Family Services, periodic investigations of the Central Register, as defined in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, to ascertain if the child care provider has been determined to be a perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect. The Department of Children and Family Services shall conduct an investigation of the Central Register at the request of the Department. The Department shall request the Department of Children and Family Services to conduct periodic investigations of the Central Register.

(b) Any child care provider, other than a relative of the child, receiving funds from the child care assistance program under this Code who is not required to be licensed under the Child Care Act of 1969 shall, as a condition of eligibility to participate in the child care assistance program under this Code, authorize in writing a fingerprint-based criminal history record check to determine if the child care provider has ever been convicted of a crime with respect to which the conviction has not been overturned and the criminal records have not been sealed or expunged. Upon this authorization, the Department shall request and receive information and assistance from any federal or State governmental agency as part of the authorized criminal history record check. The Department of State Police shall provide information concerning any conviction that has not been overturned and with respect to which the criminal records have not been sealed or expunged, whether the conviction occurred before or on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, of a child care provider upon the request of the Department when the request is made in the form and manner required by the Department of State Police. Any information concerning convictions that have not been overturned and with respect to which the criminal records have not been sealed or expunged obtained by the Department is confidential and may not be transmitted (i) outside the Department except as required in this Section or (ii) to anyone within the Department except as needed for the purposes of determining participation in the child care assistance program. A copy of the criminal history record check obtained from the Department of State Police shall be provided to the unlicensed child care provider.

(c) The Department shall by rule determine when payment to an unlicensed child care provider may be withheld if there is an indicated finding against the provider based on the results of the Central Register search, or a disqualifying criminal conviction that has not been overturned and with respect to which the criminal records have not been sealed or expunged based on the results of the fingerprint-based criminal history record check obtained by the Department in the Central Register. Only information and standards which bear a reasonable and rational relation to the performance of a child care provider shall be used by the Department.

(Source: P.A. 92-825, eff. 8-21-02.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.